the five stages of grief
by the blonde bunny
Summary: they were her friends too


**Stage 1**

_Denial_

Mitsuki stared at Akihito's sleeping form, trying to understand everything that had happened in the span of a few hours. Hiromi stood next to her, hands stuffed into pockets to conceal their curled form, face expressionless.

Kuriyama-san.

Akihito.

Mitsuki told herself that Mirai would show up in a little bit, tripping into the doorway, demand how Akihito was doing, and collapse into the chair that was empty for her sake, holding Akihito's hand in her small ones as they waited.

And then Akihito would wake up in a couple of hours, feel his hand in Mirai's, and give it a small squeeze before cracking some joke to lighten the mood darkened by his condition. Hiromi would say something that he thought sounded cool, and Mitsuki would express her relief at Akihito's awakening through an insult.

Then the four would discuss Kyoukai no Kanata, and afterwards Hiromi would drag Mitsuki away, saying something about needing to get home so Izumi wouldn't worry, but they both knew that Mirai and Akihito needed some time alone together.

_Yes,_ Mitsuki thought, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, _just give Kuriyama-san an hour or so. She's always late._

* * *

**Stage 2**

_Anger_

Mitsuki glared at Akihito, arms and legs crossed and lips formed in a pout. She waited several more moments, and once her anger got the best of her, she poked Akihito hard in the cheek.

"Wake _up_ already, Akihito. It's been weeks! That's more than enough time for a pervert to rest." Mitsuki scowled when he didn't stir, and continued to poke and prod the seemingly lifeless half-youmu.

"Come on, just open your eyes! It's not that hard, sheesh, I'll do it for you, you useless idiot." Mitsuki snarled, reaching across Akihito and pushing up his eyelids. "Now all you have to do is keep it open, something that even a baby can do. I'm letting go now, don't let your eyes close." She warned, and scowled even further when his eyes closed once again.

"Doesn't she mean more to you?" Mitsuki nearly yelled, pounding Akihito in the chest with her fist. "If you care about her, wake _up_!"

Silence.

"Fine," Mitsuki snapped, pushing off Akihito's chest and standing up. "Be lazy and stubborn, whatever." She grabbed her bag from where it was leaning against the chair leg, and slung it over her shoulder, and with one final glare at the sleeping boy, Mitsuki left the hospital room.

* * *

**Stage 3**

_Bargaining_

"C'mon Akihito, wake up. It's been over a month now, and you haven't even lifted a finger. Just do something, anything!" Mitsuki pleaded, holding her friend's hand in hers and shaking it loosely.

He didn't respond, he never did.

"Please, Akihito, just give me a sign that you're there, that you're okay. If you do that, I'll wear glasses for a whole week! Ones that you picked out, too." Mitsuki offered, desperate for anything.

He didn't respond, he never did.

"A whole month! I'll wear glasses for a whole month if you even move a muscle." Mitsuki tried again, trying not to shake Akihito too hard.

She didn't know why though, he won't respond, he never did.

"One year! One year of me wearing glasses, but you have to give me a sign Akihito." Mitsuki cried, gripping his hand so tight that if he were awake he'd be yelping in pain.

But he wasn't.

Mitsuki took a deep breath, and pulled out her trump card. "Akihito, if you squeeze my hand or lift a finger or even wiggle your toe, I'll wear glasses for the rest of my life. I'll even let you choose which ones I wear each week!" Mitsuki exclaimed, waiting for Akihito to pull out of his sleep with a wide grin and two megane magazines in his hands.

But he didn't do that, no he just stayed in the same position he was in a month ago.

"C'mon Akihito, you can't stay asleep forever just because she isn't here right now. Don't you wanna live?" Mitsuki asked, slumping down in her chair.

He didn't respond, he never did.

* * *

**Stage 4**

_Depression_

"Kuriyama-san, Akihito, I bet Onii-chan will disappear any day now. And then Yakiimo, and everyone else." Mitsuki murmurs to herself, watching the unconscious half-youmu from the chair right by his hospital, hands in her lap.

"I know that I insult you a lot, and don't hide my disapproval of a lot of your actions, but you know that I still care about you, right Akihito? You can hear the double-meaning in my words?" Mitsuki's voice is small, and she feels that way too. It's been nearly two months since Mirai disappeared and Akihito went into an unconscious resting state, and Mitsuki's stubbornness is starting to crumble.

It'd been crumbling for a long while, actually, but she only just now realized it.

Mitsuki touched Akihito's arm, and remembered Mirai.

She pulled on the sleeve of his blue shirt, and remembered the red tie that branded him as a second-year like her, and how they were classmates.

Mitsuki fell forward until her head was resting against Akihito's chest, and remembered the way hot tears felt against burning cheeks.

* * *

**Stage 5**

_Acceptance_

"You're gone, and Kuriyama-san is gone." Mitsuki declared this to Akihito, standing rigidly next to his bed.

Good, she'd gone and said it out loud. That was a start.

"But you're not gonna be away forever, and when you come back, you'll save Kuriyama-san, like she's always doing to you." Mitsuki said it like it was fact, not that anyone would disagree.

"And then you will kiss her, you stupid pervert, because you two deserve each other." Mitsuki glared at Akihito, enforcing her words.

"And after that, me, you, Kuriyama-san, Onii-chan and the others are all gonna finish high school with a happy ending, and then you and Kuriyama-san will get married, and hopefully Onii-chan too, and maybe even me." Mitsuki told the half-youmu, settling down into the chair, and pulling out a magazine.

The only thing she could do now was wait.

And wait she would, for as long as it takes.

Because Kuriyama-san, Akihito, they were her friends too.


End file.
